We couldn’t help ourselves and clicked onto a new feature at NHL.com called “Hockey 101 with Snoop Dogg.” The rapper from the LBC (once the home of the Ice Dogs, if you recall), refers to himself “Dogg Cherry” and calls Wayne Gretzky “99 problems, and you ain’t one of ‘em.” Why the NHL and Snoop Dogg are even together on this? It’s his ties to the Kings.

“One of the things we noticed when Snoop came to our All-Star game a couple years ago in Los Angeles was not only is he Snoop and everybody loves him, but he really loves hockey,” the NHL’s executive vice president Steve Mayer told Deadline. “The first thing he said when we walked into the East locker room was, ‘Sid the Kid!’ — calling out Sidney Crosby. He knows the players, he knows the game, and we started talking back then about how he feels like he can help promote the game.”

Ice, ice, baby. We hope the shows become, uh, better as the playoffs continue into May and June. Before then, we gotta expect Dogg to be fixing on having this Kings-Golden Knights series return to Las Vegas for an encore of what happened there for Games 1 and 2.

The Ducks, meanwhile, didn’t take advantage of their home ice and are on thin ice as they go to San Jose for what could be the closeout of their season.

Also this week for the Kings: Game 5 at Las Vegas, Thursday at 7 p.m., Prime Ticket, NBCSN; Game 6 at Staples Center, Saturday, TBA. Both games if necessary.

Also this week for the Ducks: Game 4 at San Jose, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Prime Ticket, Golf Channel; Game 5 at Honda Center, Friday, TBD; Game 6 at San Jose, Sunday, TBD. All games if necessary.

Until someone else steps up, we’ll remain focused on a storyline that provides whatever it takes to create a rematch between Golden State and Cleveland, who’ve been in every NBA Finals since 2015. While neither the Warriors nor Cavs have the top seeding in their respective conferences, “The City” is still given 7/5 odds to win it all by the Bovoda sports book website, with “The Land” a third-favorite at 13/2 behind Houston (8/5). The Lakers and Clippers are off the board, and that’s an odd feeling all together.

Enough talk about LeBron James coming to either the Lakers or Clippers, because here’s where we get heavy does of Bryce Harper-to-the-Dodgers chin rubbing. Jon Heyman at FanRag.com puts the Dodgers at 3-1 odds of landing the soon-to-be free-agent Harper, but it seems to be an either/or proposition, depending on whether they re-sign Clayton Kershaw. Saturday lines up for a Kershaw matchup against Stephen Strasburg.

Meanwhile, the Red Sox face the Orioles on Monday morning (MLB Network, 11 a.m.) before heading West to start a nine-game, 10 day road trip. Shohei Ohtani’s spot in the rotation moves to a Tuesday start against Boston because of Sunday’s cancellation in Kansas City.

Also this week for the Dodgers: At San Diego, Monday-Wednesday, 7:10 p.m., SportsNet LA

Also this week for the Angels: At Angel Stadium vs. San Francisco, Friday at 7:07 p.m., Saturday at 6:07 p.m., Sunday at 1:07 p.m., FSW

The women’s pro tour returns to L.A. for the first time since 2005 with a $1.5 million event, on the outskirts of the city’s Koreatown district. Keep an eye out for 2017 Women’s PGA Champion Danielle Kang (Westlake High, Pepperdine), Alison Lee (UCLA), Jenny Shin (South Korea born and the state’s top player when she was at Torrance High) and Robynn Ree (Redondo High, USC). Paula Creamer, Natalie Gulbis, Juli Inkster, Cristie Kerr, Brittany Lincicome, Anna Nordqvist (recent winner at the ANA Inspiration in Palm Springs), Morgan Pressel, Lexi Thompson and Michelle Wie are also entered (as well as Cheyenne Woods, the half-sister of Tiger Woods).

UCLA, winner of the Pac-12 title and the recent NCAA regional championship, starts as the No. 3 national seed in a six-team semifinal bracket against No. 2 LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia and Nebraska. The top three advance to the “Super Six,” where they will likely face No. 1 seed and two-time defending champion Oklahoma and/or Pac-12 rivals Utah, Cal or Washington. UCLA finished fourth last year in the finals, and Kyla Ross was the individual winner in the bars and beam.

The spotlight may be on Chip Kelly and how he runs things, but there may be more focus on Justin Frye, the new offensive line coach, who’ll have to figure out a way to protect whoever is playing quarterback.

The Trojans (17-13) pulled out a 3-2 win over the Bruins (22-9) in the Dodgertown Classic on Lars Nootbaar’s eighth-inning home run into the UCLA bullpen last month, but it hasn’t established any trends in how their seasons have gone from there.

Also this week for UCLA: At Jackie Robinson Stadium vs. UC Irvine, Tuesday at 6 p.m.

Also this week for USC: At Dedeaux Field vs. UC Santa Barbara, Tuesday at 6 p.m.; At Loyola Marymount, Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Also this week for Long Beach State: At Blair Field vs. Loyola Marymount, Tuesday at 6 p.m.; At Cal Poly, Thursday at 7 p.m., ESPNU, Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m.

Also this week for Cal State Fullerton: At University of San Diego, Tuesday at 6 p.m.; At Goodwin Field vs. Hawaii, Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m.

Also this week for Cal State Northridge: At San Diego State, Tuesday at 6 p.m.; At Matador Field vs. UC Irvine, Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Also this week for UC Irvine: At UCLA, Tuesday at 6 p.m., at Cal State Northridge, Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Also this week for UC Riverside: At Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Wednesday at 2 p.m.; At Riverside Sports Complex vs. San Jose State, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m.

Also this week for Pepperdine: At Eddy D. Field in Malibu vs. Cal Poly, Tuesday at 3 p.m.; At Eddy D. Field in Malibu vs. University of San Diego, Friday at 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.

Also this week for Loyola Marymount: At Long Beach State, Tuesday at 6 p.m.; At Page Stadium in Westchester vs. USC, Wednesday at 6 p.m.; At Page Stadium in Westchester vs. Portland, Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., Sunday at 1 p.m.

As construction continues at Hilmer Lodge Stadium in Mt. SAC – the site for the 2020 U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials — El Camino College plays host to the event that produced six world-leading marks last season, including two NCAA records. Cooper Teare’s 4:00.16 mile was the second-best time in California history and 10th-best in U.S. history.

More info: www.mtsacrelays.com

NO. 9: 122nd BOSTON MARATHON Details/TV: Monday at 5:30 a.m., NBCSN

Patriots’ Day in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers another chance to Galen Rupp to see if he’s up for this challenge. The two-time Olympic medalist and 2017 winner of the Chicago Marathon was 21 seconds behind winner Geoffrey Kirui of Kenya last year. “It was an incredible time,” said Rupp, who set a personal best 2:09:58. “The race exceeded any expectations that I had. I wouldn’t say that my training has been optimal, but I take nothing away from this guy (Kirui). He ran a hell of a race. I just didn’t have it in the last couple of miles. I’m very happy with this result.” On the women’s side, 2017 New York City Marathon winner and Olympic silver medalist Shalane Flanagan is the one who’ll get the most local attention.

More info: www.baa.org

NO. 10: NFL: 2018 SCHEDULE ANNOUNCEMENT Details/TV: To be determined

In 2017, the schedule came out a week before the draft. If that holds, the 2018 version will come out this Thursday. Or it could hold for a couple more weeks. Be prepared. The 99th NFL season will start Sept. 6, and the Rams know they’ll to go Mexico City to play the Chiefs, and the Chargers will go to Wembley Stadium in London to meet with Tennessee in late October. We know the NFL West will play the AFC West teams in the rotation – meaning an L.A. vs. L.A. matchup at the Coliseum. Otherwise … wait it out.

Tom Hoffarth is a freelancer. He had been with the Daily News/Southern California News Group since 1992 as a general assignment sports reporter, columnist and specialist in the sports media. He has been honored by the Associated Press for sports columnists and honored by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association for his career work. His favorite sportscaster of all time: Vin Scully, for professional and personal reasons. He considers watching Zenyatta win the Breeders' Cup 2009 Classic to be the most memorable sporting event he has covered in his career. Go figure that.